{"title":"Shinrin-yoku","description":"50 hours of fire. A communal kiln in Tokoname, Japan. These pieces carry what the flame decided.","products":[{"product_id":"greek-amphora","title":"Vase: Shinrin-yoku","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:0\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWheel-thrown stoneware, built in Singapore from Australian stoneware clay. Woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Greek amphora form.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e16 × 18 cm (6.3 × 7.1 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:1.5em\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis piece traveled twice: thrown and bisque-fired in Singapore, carried to Japan to be woodfired, then carried home again. Bisqueware is fragile and unforgiving in transit, and this one made the trip intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne side faced the fire directly and turned warm and deep in color. The other side, turned away from the flame, stayed cool. A different colored slip was applied to the surface before texturing, which is part of why the two sides read so differently.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt has a little sister: a second amphora with the same Singapore-to-Japan-and-back journey, sold to a collector at Clayfest 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top:1.5em\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.4em\"\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0;display:inline\"\u003eThe Firing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:0.85em;opacity:0.6\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51974107037992,"sku":null,"price":200.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3492.jpg?v=1781710828"},{"product_id":"firebox-tokoname","title":"Firebox: Shinrin-yoku","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:0\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWheel-thrown stoneware. Woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA vessel, the one piece each artist was allowed to place directly in the kiln's firebox.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e19 × 13 cm (7.5 × 5.1 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:1.5em\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe firebox is the riskiest spot in a wood-fired kiln: closest to the flame, first to take the heat, first to take a hit if a log shifts. Each of us got one piece in there. High risk, high reward. I was nervous mine would get knocked by falling wood. It survived untouched.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe texture comes from two things: a slip applied after shaping, and a heavy deposit of wood ash, since the firebox takes more ember and ash than anywhere else in the kiln.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy favorite detail is the drip: five lines, almost symmetrical, where melting ash ran down the surface as it formed. Some of that slip was iron-rich, which gives the red tones. There are also small blue shadows and crystals scattered across it, both rare and hard to get in a wood firing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top:1.5em\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.4em\"\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0;display:inline\"\u003eThe Firing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:0.85em;opacity:0.6\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51974968541480,"sku":null,"price":200.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3476_1.jpg?v=1781710176"},{"product_id":"dragon-pot","title":"Dragon pot: Shinrin-yoku","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:0\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilt from a mix of two local clays: Shigaraki for strength under heat, Tokoname for color. Woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA dragon pot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e19 × 14 cm (7.5 × 5.5 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:1.5em\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTextured with clay trimmed away while shaping the piece, then pressed back onto the surface as decoration. The name comes from its resemblance to traditional Chinese dragon pots.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe side that faced the fire turned bright green, a reaction from the pine in the kiln.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top:1.5em\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.4em\"\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0;display:inline\"\u003eThe Firing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:0.85em;opacity:0.6\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51989117960488,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3469.jpg?v=1781750792"},{"product_id":"teapot","title":"Teapot: Shinrin-yoku","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:0\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWheel-thrown stoneware, built in Singapore from Australian stoneware clay. Carried to Japan to be woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, October 2025, then carried home again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA teapot, suited to Western and English-style tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e14 × 22 cm · Holds 1035 ml (~35 oz)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:1.5em\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilt with a one-hand push: thrown as a cylinder first, scored with a fork, then stretched from the inside using only the left hand, with no support from the outside to hold it steady. It's a harder way to throw, but it leaves a softer, less mechanical shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the larger of the two teapots from this trip. It's already proven itself at several tea ceremonies at home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top:1.5em\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.4em\"\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0;display:inline\"\u003eThe Firing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:0.85em;opacity:0.6\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51989132247336,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3574.jpg?v=1781750929"},{"product_id":"teapot-small","title":"Teapot small: Shinrin-yoku","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:0\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWheel-thrown stoneware, built in Singapore from Australian stoneware clay. Carried to Japan to be woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, October 2025, then carried home again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA smaller teapot, suited to Western and English-style tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e12 × 20 cm · Holds 620 ml (~21 oz)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:1.5em\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilt the same way as its larger sibling: one-hand push, thrown as a cylinder, scored with a fork, then stretched from the inside with the left hand alone. This is the smaller of the two teapots from this trip, made for a shorter pour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top:1.5em\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.4em\"\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0;display:inline\"\u003eThe Firing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:0.85em;opacity:0.6\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51989132706088,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3556.jpg?v=1781751101"},{"product_id":"fruit-bowl","title":"Fruit bowl: Shinrin-yoku","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:0\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilt from local Shigaraki clay using the spiral technique. Woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fruit bowl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e10 × 20 cm (3.9 × 7.9 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:0.25em;margin-top:1.5em\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade with the spiral technique: a tall, narrow cylinder thrown first, scored with a fork, then stretched fast from the inside with the left hand, working against the resistance of the clay. It's a faster, more forceful version of the one-hand push, and the spiral marks it leaves can't be recreated after the fact. (Same technique as the Cup in the Ubud Forest collection.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt carries small bright blue crystals across the surface, rare in a wood firing and only possible from a heavy ash deposit landing in just the right spot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top:1.5em\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.4em\"\u003e\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.75rem;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0;display:inline\"\u003eThe Firing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:0.85em;opacity:0.6\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51989133787432,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3546.jpg?v=1781751243"},{"product_id":"bowl","title":"Bowl: Ubud Forest","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-size: 0.75rem; letter-spacing: 0.12em; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-top: 0;\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuilt from local Shigaraki clay. Woodfired at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9 × 16.5 cm (3.5 × 6.5 in)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 0.75rem; letter-spacing: 0.12em; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-top: 1.5em;\"\u003eThe Making\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatte, and the most colorful piece in the collection: look closely and you can find around seven distinct colors across the surface, marking where the flame moved around it during the firing. The clay itself is light brown. The grey side is the part that faced the fire most directly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"margin-top: 1.5em;\"\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"list-style: none; cursor: pointer; display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.4em;\"\u003eThe Firing\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.85em; opacity: 0.6;\"\u003eRead more ▾\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade during three weeks at a pottery studio in the Tokoname forest, Japan, a city built on pottery, threaded by a footpath paved with broken ceramic shards and a centuries-old climbing kiln leaning into the hillside. This was my first wood firing, and the studio itself had a small, family feel, like living in a village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kiln was an anagama: a single-chamber, tunnel-shaped wood kiln, one of the oldest kiln types in Japan, brought over from Korea around the 5th century. This one had only a front stoke hole, no side stoking. The approach here, taught by kiln master Peter Seabridge, isn't about speed. It's about pacing: watching the thermometer, watching the chimney through a mirror in the window, and judging when to feed it again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked two shifts, both mornings, about 10 hours each. In the first, the temperature climbed from 260°C to 1020°C. In the second, it rose from 1214°C to 1255°C, crossing the 1250°C mark. The kiln peaked at 1260°C. There was no reduction cooling at the end, just a long climb up and back down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo glaze was applied to any piece. Everything you see on the surface is ash, clay body, and slip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Kutega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51989135098152,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/files\/IMG_3548.jpg?v=1781751461"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/1993\/9368\/collections\/89ec64b6-387a-44c5-9533-cac6e92f32cb.png?v=1782313410","url":"https:\/\/kutega.com\/collections\/tokoname.oembed","provider":"Kutega","version":"1.0","type":"link"}